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    SubjectRe: PATCH [0/3]: Simplify the kernel build by removing perl.
    Leon Woestenberg wrote:
    >
    > I agree with Rob that the amount of required dependencies should be
    > kept to a minimum.
    >
    > If we only use 0.5% of a certain language (or: dependent package),
    > then rather implement that 0.5% in the existing language.
    >
    > Dependencies very quickly become dependency hell. If A requires B,
    > then A also inherits all (future) requirements of B, etc. etc.
    >
    > In my daily software development work with Linux and GNU software in
    > general, 10% of it is spent fighting/removing these extremely "thin"
    > or false depencies, so that it is usuable in embedded devices.
    >

    First of all, I largely consider this a joke. All real-life embedded
    kernel builds take place on hosted platforms; anything else seems to be
    done "just because it can be done", as a kind of show-off art project.
    Cute, but hardly worth impeding the rest of the kernel community for.

    We're not talking about general platform dependencies here, but build
    dependencies for the kernel. A platform that can build the kernel is
    not a small platform.

    Second of all, these patches are not fullworthy replacements. The
    original patch using bc had less dependencies, but bc failed on some
    platforms, mysteriously. The new patches have *more* environmental
    dependencies than that ever did.

    Third, if someone actually cares to do it right, I have a smallish
    bignum library at http://git.zytor.com/?p=lib/pbn.git;a=summary that
    might be a starting point.

    -hpa

    --
    H. Peter Anvin, Intel Open Source Technology Center
    I work for Intel. I don't speak on their behalf.



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